Initial Sales Will Determine If More Powerful Chevy SS Is Launched

The 2014 Chevrolet SS muscle sedan has just gone on sale, priced from $44,470. For that sum, you get a roomy, well-equipped sedan with a 415-horsepower V-8 spinning the rear wheels. Unfortunately, there are only two options available, and neither involves adding more power under the hood. Those options include a power sunroof and a full-size spare.

With General Motors selling versions of the SS overseas with much more power, including one packing a 580-horsepower supercharged LSA, the question on everybody’s lips is why can’t we get ‘em here. People are also wondering why a manual transmission isn’t offered (a paddle-shifted, six-speed automatic is standard) when, once again, customers overseas have the option.

Speaking with Automotive, Chevrolet’s marking executive for its performance cars, John Fitzpatrick, said that introducing more powerful versions of the SS in the U.S. was possible, though it will depend on initial sales of the car. He explained that Chevy is only targeting 2,000 to 3,000 sales per year, the amount the more affordable Pontiac G8, also based on the SS’ Holden Commodore donor, sold before Pontiac’s demise, which meant variations of the new SS were limited to keep the project profitable.

Should sales of the SS exceed those targets, then Chevy might look at introducing more versions of the car, including manual-equipped versions, Fitzpatrick said.

We applaud General Motors Company [NYSE:GM] for bringing over the Holden Commodore once again, and look forward to driving the car soon (we’ll have a first drive report next month), but we’d love to see a more powerful version launched, especially something along the lines of the HSV Gen-F range.